Free Power, Water Schemes if AAP Returns, Says Kejriwal

New Delhi:Ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls, it is raining freebies and populist schemes in the city. A day after the BJP tried to outbid the AAP, promising `2,500 monthly aid for women and LPG cylinders for women at `500, the ruling AAP on Saturday announced that it will extend the benefits of free electricity and water schemes even to the tenants in Delhi if it is voted back to power.

Though the AAP has yet to release its manifesto for the Delhi polls, it has already promised over half-a-dozen "reveris" (freebies) like the Sanjeevani Yojna, the Mahil Samman Yojna, the Pujari-Granthi Samman Yojna, etc.

Citing the concerns raised by tenants in a press conference, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said, "Wherever I go, I meet people living on rent who say they benefit from good schools and hospitals but are deprived of free electricity and water schemes."

"After the elections, when our government is formed, we will introduce a plan and build a system that ensures tenants in Delhi start receiving the benefits of free electricity and water. This will be a major step forward,” assured the former chief minister. He announced 200 units of free electricity and 20,000 litres of free water per month when the AAP returns to power.

In a bid to woo the Purvanchalis, the AAP chief said, “Many tenants in Delhi come from Purvanchal. They live on rent and often belong to poor backgrounds. Soon, all these people will also start benefiting from free electricity and water.”

Earlier in the day, the AAP’s attempt to release a documentary film titled Unbreakable depicting the period when its leaders Manish Sisodia, Mr Kejriwal, among others, were jailed, was foiled by the Delhi police, citing poll code violation.

The AAP supremo alleged that the Delhi police prevented the screening of the documentary exposing the "secrets" and "conspiracies" behind the arrest of leaders of his party. He said the documentary was to be shown to the media at the private event, and it was not any political programme.

DCP (Central) M. Harshvardhan said: “As elections have been declared, political parties have to apply for permission through a single-window system at DEO office (that is the DM office). This is a standard process during elections. For the said event, no such permission was taken and hence it would have been a violation of guidelines. We urge all parties to follow the elections rules and regulations at this time, he said.

Mr Harshvardhan clarified that the Delhi police can neither grant nor reject such permission at this time, as all permissions for political activity are granted through a single-window system in the concerned DEO office.

Mr Kejriwal, however, questioned why permission was needed for a private screening event. "No votes were going to be sought at the event, nor anything was to be said against any party," he said, claiming, "The BJP is completely scared of the documentary because it uncovers the secrets and conspiracies behind the arrest of AAP leaders in the past two years. It exposes the illegal and unconstitutional activities of the BJP."